Hyundai Equus sales have slowed to a
trickle, with the Korean automaker managing to move just 12,562 of them last
year, with around two thirds of the sales taking place in the automaker’s home
market. Back in 2011, when the Equus
was first launched, more than 27,700 of the cars were sold.
Currently,
the Equus is averaging
just 200 sales per month here in the U.S.
The
good news is that a new model is coming soon. Once again the car will share a
platform with the smaller Genesis sedan, and from our spy shots of prototypes
it looks like the new Equus
will grow slightly compared to the current one. We also hear by way of Auto
World News that the new Equus
will likely benefit from a downsized turbocharged engine. At present the Equus
in the U.S. is available exclusively with Hyundai’s 5.0-liter Tau V-8 good for
429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.
The new
Equus is not expected
until the 2017 model year, which means the current one has at least one more
year left in it. For 2016, Hyundai has added
a hands-free trunk opening system on the range-topping Ultimate trim. With the
system, all you need to do to open the trunk hands-free is stand within a few
feet of it with the key in your pocket or purse.
Hyundai says
that its two Equus
trim levels, Signature and Ultimate, are so generously equipped that there are
no individual options available. Some of the standard goodies include an
eight-speed automatic, adjustable air suspension, 19-inch wheels, nine airbags,
electronic driver aids, parking aids, heated and cooled front seats, navigation
and a 17-speaker Lexicon audio system.
There
are some available “service” packages for the Equus’ Blue Link
connectivity system, however. These are broken down into Connected Care, Remote
and Guidance packages. The Connected Care package, which has a one-year
complimentary subscription, is a suite of safety and car care features
providing Hyundai owners
with free proactive services including automatic collision notification, SOS
emergency assistance, enhanced roadside assistance, monthly vehicle health
reporting and maintenance alerts. The Remote package, as the name suggests,
allows you to remotely control certain functions of your car like starting it,
locking/unlocking it and tracking it if stolen. Finally, the Guidance package
provides destination search powered by Google as well as point of interest
searches.
Pricing
for the 2016 Hyundai
Equus Signature starts at $62,450, including a $950 destination charge. The
2016 Equus Ultimate will set you back $69,700, also including destination. The
2016 models are expected to arrive in showrooms this summer.
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